AFP
December 5, 2006
CAPE TOWN (AFP) - Possible court action by citizens citing environmental concerns could cost South Africa's tourist hub of Cape Town its status as a host city for the 2010 football World Cup.
Residents say the proposed 68,000-seater stadium in Green Point will rob the city of much-needed public amenities but Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile will ask cabinet to take away Cape Town's host status if they do not back down.
"If the process in Cape Town is delayed, and this in turn delays our overall preparations, we will have to move it to another place," Stofile's spokesman Bonginkosi Sishi said Tuesday.
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Stofile's stance even has the backing of the Western Cape provincial government which fears a court battle will severely delay construction work.
"It will be sad for Cape Town to lose this great development in terms of infrastructure," provincial sports minister Whitey Jacobs told AFP.
"No one could guarantee the time frames within a court process. The issue here is that we must deliver a stadium."
David Polovin, chairman of the Green Point Common Association, said court action depended on the outcome of an appeal against planning permission to build the stadium at an 80 hectare site which currently houses a golf course and other public amenities.
"The common is there for a purpose, it is not a wasteland. It is a breathing space," said Polovin.
"If we want to be a world class city we must have world-class facilities, which must include green open spaces."
The association has suggested the existing Newlands or Athlone stadia as alternatives.
But Tumi Makgabo, spokeswoman for the FIFA local organising committee, ruled other venues out.
"If the Green Point stadium does not become a reality, we will have to start looking at other venues in other cities."
Ten stadia in nine cities have been identified as match hosts.
Pieter Cronje, spokesman for the Cape Town city council's 2010 project team, said construction must start at Green Point soon to meet FIFA deadlines.
"If we are not on site towards the end of February we will be running into problems. We won't have enough room to manoeuvre."
Updated on Tuesday, Dec 5, 2006 6:06 pm EST
